First Date Disasters
by The Sushi Monster
Summary: "The first man I dated dressed badly, had a crush on another girl, and refused to dance with me.": Professor Padma Patil comforts Rose Weasley after her first date.


**Disclaimer: **_This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, not I. I don't own Harry Potter. I also don't own Aletha Freeman's little anti-boy phrase there. That belongs to whydoyouneedtoknow, author of the Dangerverse._

**First Date Disasters**

**By: The Sushi Monster**

Rose Weasley hated boys.

After storming into the Great Hall on the Saturday before Halloween, granting her several weird stares from the younger years, she had promptly marched to the library.

Upon arriving, she spotted a group of second year Hufflepuffs studying. Crossing behind them, she let a small smile flit onto her face before slumping into her favorite seat by the window.

Sighing, she closed her eyes and massaged her temples.

_Boys are stupid. Throw rocks at them._

Inwardly she giggled, but she was still silently fuming. Her eyes were watery, but she wasn't _crying_. No, she couldn't possibly cry when she was mad.

How _dare_ that Casey Kendall leave her sitting alone in Madam Pudifoot's to go and snog Ophelia Gallagher! Not only was it terribly impolite and imprudent, seeing as they were on a date—_my first too!_—it was just plain _mean_.

_I hate boys._

Rose, not being the crying sort, was just debating the finer points of trying to get her cousin James Potter to get back at the boy with a prank or two when her thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of the Charms Professor, Padma Patil.

"Well, Miss Weasley, may I ask why you, being a fourth year, sit here instead of enjoying the Hogsmede trip?"

Rose sighed. "It's a long story, Professor. I shouldn't bother you with these petty things—besides you're probably busy…"

"Nonsense. Contrary to popular belief, Miss Weasley, Professors do have free time. I've already graded the Gryffindor Fourth Year essays, in fact, so I am in no rush."

Sighing once more and the back of her mind questioning why in the world she was confiding in a Professor, she looked up. "You know Casey Kendall?"

"Hufflepuff, fifth year?"

"Yes. Well he asked me out last week, and I had said yes. We went to Madam Pudifoot's, the tea shop, when he left to go to the restroom." Rose faltered for a moment, but Professor Patil nodded.

"Go on, dear," she said, a smile on her face.

"Well he never came back. So after waiting for fifteen minutes or so, I got up to go see where he went, and just as I got the exit, I find the bloody bastard snogging Ophelia Gallagher!"

Whether the Professor caught her momentary lapse of language, she gave no indicated. She did frown, however. "Ravenclaw, also fifth year?"

"Yes. So I just—well, ran, and here I am."

"Yes," agreed Patil, nodding. "Here you are." She gave Rose a smile. "I'm guessing it was your first date?"

"Yeah. It was a _disaster. _I hate men."

"The best of us do, at one point or another," said Patil thoughtfully. "Maybe I should tell you a story about my first date?"

"Sure."

"Well, mine was also a complete disaster. I suppose you heard of the Triwizard Tournament that happened in my fourth year. Well, there was Yule Ball, and I, like every other girl in this school, wanted to go. However, my first choice as a date—well, let's just say he was preoccupied at the time." Rose chuckled, and the Charms professor continued. "So my sister, Parvati, set me up with one of her housemates. And let's just say he—he wasn't the ideal date."

Rose raised an eyebrow. "Who was he?" she asked, curious.

Patil smiled. "The first man I dated dressed badly, had a crush on another girl, and refused to dance with me." Rose looked intrigued. "And I believe you do know him."

"Really? Who?"

"Why, it was your father, Ron Weasley."

Rose's jaw dropped. "_Dad? _Who was he in love with?"

"Your mother, of course."

Rose blinked multiple times. "They never told me about the Yule Ball—kept saying it was a story for another day or some other crap like that." She frowned. "Wait, who did Mum go with then?"

"Victor Krum."

Rose gasped. "_Krum_? _The _Victor Krum? And Mum gave him up to marry _Dad?_"

The professor chuckled. "Oh, I'm pretty sure your Mum was just as in love with you father and he was with her. Argued in front of the entire Gryffindor house, I believe."

Shaking her head, and trying to soak in the information, Rose massaged her temples. "Well, at least my first date _looked _good."

"Indeed, indeed." Patil stood up. "Now, if you excuse me, Miss Weasley, I best be off."

Rose nodded and decided that heading up to Gryffindor tower would probably be the best. _Maybe Nadia or Albus'll be back already…and I've _got _to tell Hugo about Mum and Dad._

Chuckling, Rose, in much better spirits, headed off to her Common Room, settling on revenge in the form of pranking with the help of James.

**A/N:** The plot-bunny for this one-shot was given by Kerney on FictionAlley, so thanks go out for that.

Happy New Year everyone!


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